Tampa Bay Rays Beat New York Mets 6-2 Behind Freddy Peralta’s Strong Outing

Freddy Peralta delivered a dominant performance against his former team, Yandy Díaz provided the power and the Tampa Bay Rays continued their impressive season with a 6-2 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

Peralta, acquired by Tampa Bay from the Mets in an Aug. 2 trade involving three minor league players, overcame a shaky start to pitch six terrific innings. The right-hander allowed three hits and one run, walked nobody and struck out seven as the Rays improved to an American League best 83-55.

Peralta surrendered Francisco Lindor’s leadoff home run before Bo Bichette and Carson Benge followed with consecutive singles. From there, however, the veteran right-hander settled in spectacularly, retiring 17 of his final 18 batters.

He has now allowed just one run over his last 14 innings. Tampa Bay’s bullpen took over and, aside from a messy seventh inning, kept the Mets largely quiet. Three Rays relievers combined with Peralta to hold New York hitless over the final eight innings, with the Mets going 0-for-26 during that stretch.

The Rays offense quickly erased Lindor’s early blast. Junior Caminero extended the longest active hitting streak in the majors to 15 games when he singled home Díaz in the first inning, tying the game at 1-1.

Caminero added another single later in the game, while Victor Mesa Jr. collected three hits and Ryan Vilade drove in two runs. Vilade gave Tampa Bay the lead in the third inning with a single off Mets starter Sean Manaea that scored Mesa, putting the Rays ahead 2-1.

Tampa Bay then broke the game open in the sixth inning by hitting for the cycle during a three-run frame.

Nick Fortes started the scoring with an RBI double. Díaz followed by launching a home run, and Vilade completed the cycle with a triple. Fortes later scored on a sacrifice fly by Taylor Walls, giving the Rays a commanding 6-1 advantage and chasing Manaea from the game.

Díaz finished with a homer and a double, continuing to provide a spark in the middle of Tampa Bay’s lineup.

Manaea (4-7) struggled to keep the Rays off the scoreboard, while Peralta (7-11) earned the win in his first season matchup against his former club.

The Mets managed to add a run in the seventh after Tampa Bay issued four walks, but New York couldn’t capitalize further.

Lindor accounted for both Mets runs. His leadoff homer was his 34th career leadoff home run and his second in three games. He later drew a bases-loaded walk to give New York its other run.

The victory further strengthened Tampa Bay’s position atop the American League. The Rays entered the night with a 4½-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East and now have 83 wins with the postseason approaching.

With Peralta finding his form, Caminero extending his hitting streak and Díaz continuing to deliver at the plate, Tampa Bay is entering September playing like one of baseball’s most complete teams.